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Wednesday, October 25, 2006

rocking the peace or how we didn't have a plan and learned to love the boom.

I'm back from a productive three days in Grande Prairie and Peace River!

Lots to comment on, including this from our very soon to be former Tory Premier, Ralph Klein:

Premier Ralph Klein wants projects such as new schools and roads delayed because of spiralling costs, but critics say Alberta's infrastructure needs to keep pace with rapid growth.

"Costs are escalating at 30 to 40 per cent, so my message is simply to delay," Klein said. "I know there is a screaming demand for more infrastructure but, folks, the prices are beyond belief."

After meeting with local community leaders in Grande Prairie and Peace River, I don't think it would be far off to say that a very large majority of the folks in northwestern Alberta would loudly disagree with the Premier on this.

You pay the price when you don't have a plan. In this case, it looks like a 30% to 40% cost increase...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

no plan?

Guess who else were part of the government that didn't both to plan?

Jim Dinning
Lyle Oberg
Dave Hancock
Ed Stelmach
Mark Norris
Victor Doerksen

Anonymous said...

Seeing the massive growth that is going on in Alberta's north and the massive strain the boom is putting on Alberta's towns and cities and their community infratructure, it's crazy to think that 10 years ago, all the alberta government was concerned about was slashing, burning, and gutting alberta's funding for any sort of infrastucture in order to satisfy their thirst for first getting rid of the defict, and then the provincial debt. They were so desperatly focused on killing the debt that they forgot why they what a government is supposed to do. Planning. Sustaining and building infrastructure for Albertans. They didn't have a plan.

Ralph Klein didn't have a plan. Jim Dinning didn't have a plan. Dave Hancock didn't have a plan. Lyle Oberg didn't have a plan. Ed Stelmach didn't have a plan.

And now, because our "leaders" didn't have a plan, communities like Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, and many many others are being crushed by the pressure of massive population growth a booming economy and crumbling and insufficient infrastructure.

Albertans are discovering that a boom can be just as burdensome as a bust if you have the wrong people at the helm of your province.

It's time for a change in Alberta. The Tories have proven they have no vision or planning skills for Alberta. They have lost their way. They are tired and their time is up.

Kevin Taft's Alberta Liberals are the party of vision. They have the policies. They are the party of new ideas.

They ARE the Alberta Alternative.

kenchapman said...

Hancock had a Plan and it was even offically adopted by the government - the 20 Strategic Plan - but with no heart behind it at the Premier's level it withered - but he is revitalizing it in this leadership campaign. Visit Hancock site and read his policy platform announcement speech and get his take on the planning that he did and go passed but like so much of the last 5 ears of Klien it was stillborn.